UK Man is Cured of ‘World’s Worst’ Super-Gonorrhoea Case

A man in the UK has been cured of the ‘world’s worst case of super-Gonorrhoea’. As Better2Know reported last week, the man’s condition had continued to prove ‘resistant to dual first-line therapy’. Fortunately, one remaining antibiotic has now been used successfully and he is finally free from infection. Public Health England also launched an investigation to uncover any similar infections in the UK, including testing the man’s British partner, and are confident that this is an isolated case.

Despite the satisfactory outcome, Dr Olwen Williams, President of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said the case should serve as a ‘major wake-up call for everybody’.

Speaking to the BBC, she said: “He was very lucky. Our concern is that in the future there might be no antimicrobials that will work.”

Super-Gonorrhoea in South East Asia

The British man’s infection was the world’s first case of Gonorrhoea to be incurable with first choice antibiotics, though two similar instances have since been reported in Australia. Two of the three cases are believed to have been contracted in South East Asia, which the Daily Mail recently described as a ‘hotbed for sex tourism and antibiotic resistance’.

In many South East Asian countries antibiotics are available to purchase over the counter as opposed to being prescribed by a doctor, as is customary in the UK. Such widespread access to antibiotics is believed to have increased patient resistance, reducing the medication’s effectiveness. Dr Gwenda Hughes, Head of STIs at Public Health England, warned that ‘super-Gonorrhoea is likely to be far more common in the future’.

Dr Williams also advised travellers to be aware of the links between super-Gonorrhoea and countries that use antibiotics ‘less carefully’. “If you have unsafe sex anywhere in the world,” she said, “get checked out when you come back before having sex with other partners.”

Better2Know’s Gonorrhoea Testing Options

Better2Know is the UK’s largest provider of private STI testing services. We are global leaders in sexual health, offering confidential testing for a wide range of harmful infections, including Gonorrhoea.

As well as individual Gonorrhoea testing, Better2Know also provides combinations of STI tests, known as screens. Many of our comprehensive screening options use single urine samples to detect Gonorrhoea infections. Better2Know will also perform throat, vaginal, urethral and rectal swab testing if your symptoms are localised in a particular area. Once collected, your qualified nurse or clinician will send your samples to our CPA accredited laboratory for swift, efficient analysis. Your results will be available within two working days following your samples’ arrival at our certified laboratory. You can access these results online via the secure patient login area of our website and we will also contact you as soon as all your results are ready to report.

Instant Gonorrhoea testing is also available in selected UK locations. With this popular testing option, a professional medical practitioner will take your swab sample at a private appointment, conducting the pathology whilst you wait in the clinic. You will receive your confidential results within 30 minutes of your test and a prescription will be provided if you test positive.

Better2Know can also schedule telephonic or face-to-face doctor’s consultations either before your test or following your results. Upon completion of your treatment, you are advised to take a test-of-cure to ensure the infection has completely cleared.

Booking Your Test

To book your Gonorrhoea test or screen in the UK today, you can use Better2Know’s online booking system by selecting the orange button above. If you would prefer to discuss your private testing options with a sexual health advisor, please call our dedicated team on the telephone number provided.